Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Sunny Natalie.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Sunny Nataliexe2x80x99.
The new Osteospermum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Odense, Denmark. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Osteospermum cultivars with attractive ray and disc floret colors.
The new Osteospermum originated from a self-pollination made by the Inventor in May, 1997 of the Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Sunny Ingrid, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,996. The new Osteospermum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross grown in a controlled environment in Odense, Denmark in November, 1997.
Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by terminal vegetative cuttings was first conducted in Odense, Denmark in May, 1998. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Sunny Natalie has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Sunny Nataliexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Sunny Nataliexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Osteospermum:
1. Upright plant habit.
2. Freely branching growth habit.
3. Freely flowering habit.
4. Dark purple-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Osteospermum are most similar to plants of the parent, the cultivar Sunny Ingrid. Plants of the new Osteospermum and the cultivar Sunny Ingrid differ primarily in ray floret color.